Tottenham 3 West Ham 1: Defoe hits back with double to defeat the boo boys

It is almost nine years since Jermain Defoe left West Ham United, but football fans do not forget. The Tottenham striker was taunted mercilessly by those in claret and blue. His response was emphatic.

Defoe scored two goals — the first a quite superb individual effort — and was booked, then flirted with a second yellow card in a 3-1 win Tottenham so desperately needed. It was impossible to ignore him, never mind forget him.

In the absence of Emmanuel Adebayor, suspended after being sent off against Arsenal last weekend, and against the team with which the self-described ‘East End boy’ grew up, Defoe scored the opening goal and Spurs never looked back.

They were as dominant as West Ham were poor, with Gareth Bale, Aaron Lennon, Clint Dempsey and, of course, Defoe exposing the visitors’ surprising defensive fragility.

Sam Allardyce’s side were the third stingiest team in the Barclays Premier League before this game, but the manager’s ploy to defend deep and try to nick a goal was ruined by Defoe’s stunning 44th-minute strike.

Bale then added a second after a delicious chipped ball from Dempsey before Defoe scored the third, profiting from an explosive run from Lennon.

Andy Carroll opened his West Ham account late on — the striker’s first goal in 15 games — but it was nothing more than a consolation; an aside to mar the exuberant, and somewhat relieved, celebrations of the Tottenham bench.

Assistant coach Steffen Freund’s ecstasy was perhaps a little much — ‘Sometimes we ask him if he’s taken the pill to calm down, but, when he forgets, he’s very energetic,’ joked Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas — but the hosts needed this victory.

Bullet: Jermaine Defoe rifles Tottenham in front against West Ham

Losing three consecutive matches invited pressure; four defeats in a row would have represented a very serious problem.

Instead, this victory moved them above West Ham into seventh place, five points shy of fourth-placed Chelsea.

‘It was extremely important to get
back to winning ways in a London derby,’ said Villas-Boas. ‘We don’t
jump a lot in terms of the table but we narrow the gap.

‘It puts third place in a better perspective and, hopefully, we can continue this run of form.’

In front: Defoe is mobbed by his team-mates after scoring Tottenham's opening goal

Defoe, too, will hope to continue an impressive start to the season which has seen him notch 12 goals already.

He had a look of determination when he chested the ball down with seconds of the first half remaining, turning and skipping past Winston Reid and George McCartney before sending Mark Noble the wrong way and unleashing a powerful 25-yard shot into the top right-hand corner.

Defoe spun off as if to celebrate in front of the West Ham fans but was then, wisely, shepherded away. Villas-Boas said: ‘In one-on-one situations he is immense and it was decisive because it unlocked the game.

Easy does it: Gareth Bale added a second for Tottenham as they saw off West Ham

Here we go: Bale celebrates with Clint Dempsey as Tottenham climb the table

‘He’s an incredible striker. His moment of form is absolutely immense. He’s enjoying his football.

‘When we see strikers of this nature, their hunger for goals is exactly what you want and request from a striker. I couldn’t ask for any more.’

Defoe’s strike ignited a poor first half that was more notable for the disgraceful chanting in the stands than the action on the pitch. Bale had looked the most likely architect of a Tottenham goal and Lennon sent a right-foot shot wide but West Ham offered little apart from a wayward Carroll header from a Reid free-kick.

The visitors looked surprisingly off the pace, something they must now try to correct at Manchester United on Wednesday without the influential Noble, who received his fifth caution of the season and will be suspended.

Allardyce said: ‘We were very poor, unfortunately. It looked like we were a bit overawed and I don’t know why. I didn’t expect that.

‘It shocked me, to be honest, but I’ve just got to accept it and we’ve got to get over it very, very quickly.’

Substitute Matt Jarvis brought a good save from Hugo Lloris just after the restart and the Tottenham goalkeeper, starting his third consecutive match ahead of Brad Friedel, was alert to stop the winger again after a pass from Kevin Nolan in the 56th minute. Carroll scored his goal eight minutes from time and there were late efforts from Joey O’Brien and Reid, but the visitors offered little.

At last! Andy Carroll scores his first goal for West Ham United

Spurs, by contrast, were lively and energetic. Dempsey hit the bar from the edge of the box before setting up Bale, whose left-foot shot went in off the far post.

Sandro, who later left the field for Jake Livermore after suffering pain in his abdomen, then won possession on the halfway line and fed Lennon, who sprinted forward and passed Nolan before picking out Defoe to his left.

The England striker does not miss chances like those — as West Ham know all too well.

It’s now six goals for him in seven starts against the Hammers in a Tottenham shirt. Maybe he doesn’t forget, either.